First Impressions
by CrystalIceLover
Summary: When she'd first met him, she'd written him off. But a war has a way of changing that.


**I guess I'm on something of a roll. And I'm sorry for any Americanization in this. At least I spell colour right (Benefits of living in a Commonwealth Nation).**

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine.**

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><p>She recalled that when she'd first met him, she'd written him off as unattractive. With his tall stature (even at the age of eleven) and thin figure, Daphne had simply sniggered slightly at the idea of someone like him being sorted into Slytherin, and for the first six years of her magical education, ignored Theodore Nott completely. It wasn't hard to accomplish; he kept mostly to himself, though when he did feel the need to talk to a housemate, it was Blaise he turned to. And Daphne simply kept the company of Pansy, Tracey and Millicent (though that was slightly hypocritical, as she wouldn't call any of them the most beautiful witch in their year) and the two of them barely interacted and that was that.<p>

Of course, the war brewing outside the castle walls had it's way of changing everything. Tracey and her family fled the country during the summer before seventh year, leaving the dormitory to consist of only three girls. Pansy was spending all her free time pining after Malfoy (as usual) and Millicent never was one for talking, so Daphne had no choice but to spend her time with Zabini and Nott.

The experience was not as unpleasant as she'd assumed it would be; the three of them grew close over the year. Though they were careful not to reveal everything about themselves to each other, it was not hard for Daphne and Theo to deduce that Blaise was sneaking out every other night to spend time with a Gryffindor. But they tiptoed around the subject, and Daphne made sure to never think of the subject around Blaise.

But there still was a war going on, and everywhere that one looked, there were signs. It was in the eyes of the younger students, the scars and bruises that shone on the cheeks of most, if not all, students. And it was most definitely in the screams that could be heard from the Slytherin dorms in the dead of night. As Draco spent his year forlorn and surrounded by Death Eaters, the rest of them had to endure the teachings of the Carrows, who were not above injuring purebloods. Anyone who dared defied them would be Cruciated, and it was not difficult to hear the screams.

Many Slytherins spent their year sleep deprived, with dark circles underneath their eyes; Daphne, Blaise and Theodore were no exception. So in the dead of night, when the screams were clearest and the Dementors closest, Daphne found solace in Theodore's bed.

While it is said, and not without good reason, that Slytherin is the house of the cunning, they are not lying when they vehemently deny that something goes on those nights. They simply hold each other through the nights, and Daphne can't help but think as she stares up at the green ceiling, that while his arms are still rather thin and bony, she feels safe in them regardless. And when her gaze shifts towards him lying beside her in slumber, she can't help but smile for what feels like the first time in years. She feels remotely happy, and she wonders if Blaise has the right idea, as he spends his night in an abandoned corridor with his lips pressed against the soft skin of some witch. They might not survive this year, so why not break all the damn rules and just do what makes them feel something?

But she's Daphne Greengrass, the one who doesn't believe in love and has always kept her heart guarded. She is in no shape or form ready to give that part of her to someone when all her time is spent worrying about the safety of her family.

So while she might feel something for the boy whose arms she's lying in, she simply listens to the voice in the back of her head, closing her eyes and willing for sleep to come.

And it does, and before she knows it there is a battle about to rage and she watches, Blaise on one side and Theodore on the other, as Pansy rises and screams for Potter to be grabbed and handed over to the Dark Lord. And as the rest of the school stands to protect him, the Slytherins stay seated, because Pansy's the Slytherin queen and no one wants to be the one who defies her.

So the three of them leave to Hogsmeade with the rest of their house, and as they're sitting there in Hog's Head, Blaise turns to them, his dark eyes filled with worry as he asks them to come back to Hogwarts with him. He's going back for that Gryffindor, Daphne realizes, and it occurs to her that Blaise might feel something more than lust for this girl, and before she really knows what she's doing, she's picking up her wand and nodding to him as she notices Theodore do the same.

So they go back, and they fight with those they've known for years but never taken the time to learn their names and Daphne swears that Theodore catches a glimpse of his father, for his face goes ashen for a moment, and then his hands are on her sleeve, and he's pulling her as fast as he can in the other direction.

Ducking spells and watching others die with their own eyes, they finally find Blaise again on the third floor, alive, deuling beside who can only be the girl he came back here for, and seeming very determined to see Selwyn fall. He has more than enough help, and before they can even attempt their way there, the sound of giants momentarily distracts them, and with a simple glance between them, they silently wish Blaise good luck and run towards the source of the destruction.

And through this all, they never leave each other's side until the next morning when Potter actually defeats the Dark Lord. Exhausted, they part ways in the Great Hall after receiving medical attention for all the blood spilt and the scars that lace them, Daphne to find Astoria and Theodore to find Blaise and his father, in that order. But before they part, Theodore can't help but pulling her close into a hug. After all, she's saved his life countless times in the last twenty-four hours, as he's done for her. And when they pull out of the hug, she surprises him (and herself) by pulling him into a long kiss. But in the back of her head that little voice is yelling at her to pull away. After all she's Daphne and she doesn't believe in love and he's simply going to take her heart and stomp on it. But she ignores it, and continues to kiss him.

Staring at her as they pull apart, his lips open, though no sound emits from them, and it's her who speaks, barely loud enough for him to hear her before she gives him a dazzling smile and melting away into the crowd.

"Thank you, for making this last year bearable."

And when he finds her, hours later in her dormitory with her sister in her arms, he waits patiently for them to finish their long conversation as he begins to pack up his last belongings in his own dormitory. Looking sideways at Blaise's bed, he smirks slightly, knowing that he's most likely very busy with the Gryffindor - Patil; he thinks her surname is - now that they've survived the year. And though most Slytherin's haven't (he thinks they might've made up the brunt of the casualties, if the bodies in the Great Hall are any indication) he feels proud of himself for coming back with Blaise. Who knows how many lives the three of them have saved? And then he feels very Gryffindor-like, and has the sudden urge to retch, which somewhat ruins to mood.

And when he notices the sound of footsteps outside, he looks over at the door, and smiles at Daphne as she walks in. Its then that he really notices, that though she is rather pretty (and he wrote her off as being a spoiled prat the moment he saw her stand to be sorted all those years ago), she's much more than that, and he thinks that the sudden realization is part of the reason why he moves towards her. Standing directly in front of her, he smiles, and responds to her statement earlier:

"You're welcome, though you did do the same for me."

And though he's never been one for sappiness, he leans closer, and whispers in her ear what he's wanted to say to her for the majority of the year, and when he does and pulls back so he can see her face, he grins as it lights up. Leaning down (because he's still as abnormally tall as he was when he was eleven) to kiss her, her lips crash into his first, and as he grins against her mouth, he can't help but forget about the war that just ended.

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><p><strong>I hope you liked it! All reviews are welcome, but if you're going to favourite, please review. <strong>


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